Pool Competitions Spanning 3 Continents Conclude The 2025 Competitive Year

National records and personal bests in Austria, Belarus, South Africa, and Taiwan mark the final Molchanovs-sponsored pool competitions of 2025.

By Kristina Zvaritch
Editors Deena Lynch and Asya Kleshchevnikova

Photo © Shot By Angel

As 2025 winds down, freedivers across three continents gathered for a final round of pool competitions, setting national records and personal bests (PBs) in South Africa, Austria, Belarus, and Taiwan. From Durban's saltwater lanes to Minsk's record-breaking performances, these Molchanovs-sponsored events showcased the global freediving community's passion and competitive spirit.

South Africa's AIDA DUC Cup 2025

The athletes and team of the AIDA DUC Cup 2025 posing in front of the pool after a successful competition. Photo © Shot By Angel

Just meters from Durban's beach, nine athletes competed at the Rachel Finlayson Pool on October 25–26 for the second edition of the AIDA DUC Cup. The 50m saltwater pool with eight lanes may be unheated, but 24°C (75°F) water and fierce competition kept everyone warm. Only two yellow cards appeared among a sea of white cards and new PBs.

STA performances ranged from 3:51 to 6:31, while South Africa's Bevin Reynolds set a new AIDA National Record with a graceful 182m (597ft) DNF dive. DYNB distances reached 70–139m (230–456ft), and monofin freedivers covered 76–218m (249–715ft). Every athlete received a prize, with top performers choosing first from a prize pool that included an A6063x Nose Clip and Short Bifins Backpack 2.

South Africa's Bevin Reynolds celebrates her 218m (715ft) dive with her Molchanovs carbon monofin. Photo © Shot By Angel

"Seeing senior athletes openly share their knowledge with newer competitors and watching athletes overcome personal boundaries reminded me that this competition is about far more than results," said organizer Angie van der Hoogen. "It's about growth, support, and shared achievement."

Angie heads SALT Escape, which has been bringing freediving to the Durban community for four years through trauma-informed courses and retreats. SALT Escape will host the South African Nationals early next year—follow their journey on Instagram (@salt.escape.sa) and the Durban Undersea Club website.

Austria's AIDA Hydro Dynamic 2025

Freediving legend Herbert Nitsch congratulates Martina Weitenthaler on her new Austrian DYNB National Record of 157m (515ft). Photo © AIDA Austria

Forty-eight athletes from 15 countries descended on Maria Enzersdorf on October 18–19 for the world-record-status AIDA Hydro Dynamic at the BSFZ Südstadt's 50-meter pool.
 
In toasty 31°C (88°F) water, STA times stretched from 1:04 to an impressive 7:02. Athletes donned monofins for DYN performances that ranged 77–204m (252–669ft), while day two brought two new AIDA National Records: Martina Weitenthaler (AUT) swam 157m (515ft) in DYNB, and Iran's Sina Karoubi reached 146m (479ft). DNF distances spanned 32–172m (105–564ft). Safety divers were equipped with Molchanovs SPORT fiberglass bifins and wetsuits.

AIDA Hydro Dynamic 2025 safety team member Anja shows off her Molchanovs SPORT Bifins 3 Carbon and 2.5mm SPORT Wetsuit Double-Lined. Photo © AIDA Austria

"What I particularly appreciate about the Hydros is the truly perfect organization," national record holder Martina Weitenthaler told Molchanovs. "As an athlete, you can fully focus on the competition because everything runs smoothly and seamlessly. I also love the very family-like atmosphere and the opportunities to connect during preregistration and at the shared dinner after the event."

AIDA Austria—the competition organizer—has been operating since 1998, promoting freediving as a competitive sport and ensuring high-quality training throughout the country. Mark your calendars for the next Hydro Dynamic on October 17–18, 2026.

Belarus' Minsk Freediving Weekend

Competition organizer and judge Mikalai Spiryn and team follow an athlete poolside at the Minsk Freediving Weekend. Photo © Svyatoslav Kulikov.

December 14th brought fireworks to the Minsk freediving community as three new national records fell at the University of Physical Education's pool. The Minsk Freediving Weekend is one of three annual competitions hosted by DEEP ENERGY, Belarus's largest freediving club with nearly 200 members, offering competition in STA, DNF, or DYN/DYNB in comfortable 27°C (81°F) water.

Among 46 competitors, this ninth edition didn't disappoint—more than half of the athletes set new PBs, with the day's DYN and DYNB performances ranging from 59m (194ft) to a jaw-dropping 250m (820ft). 

Nastassia Katsura celebrates a white card and a new national record performance with a 226m (741ft) dive in bifins. Photo © Svyatoslav Kulikov.

Aliaksandr Zaikin demolished the monofin record with 250m (820ft), while Aliaksei Kaltsou and Nastassia Katsura set new bifins records of 226m (741ft) and 187m (614ft), respectively. December's event also featured a special "Freshmen" category for six newcomers who'd been freediving for less than six months. The 10-member safety team was outfitted with freediving masks, snorkels, swim caps, and silicone weight belts from the Molchanovs CORE line.

Look out for DEEP ENERGY's next major event, the Belarus Championship, tentatively scheduled for March or April 2026. Follow updates on Instagram (@freedivingminsk) and Facebook.

Taiwan's AIDA Taipei Tournament

The fourth and fifth editions of Taiwan's AIDA Taipei Tournament went off with a bang at Rongxing Swimming Pool on November 14 and December 20. The comfortable 29°C (84°F) water in 25m lanes has made these regular competitions a staple for Taiwan-based athletes, with four returning competitors at November's event and an athlete from Malaysia collecting points for his national team qualification.

November's standout performances included seasoned athlete Huang Hua Yang (TPE) holding his breath for 7:16 in STA, while Malaysia's Zu Puayen Tan reached 100m (328ft) in DYN, and Jonathan Bryon (GBR) setting a new PB, swimming 100m in DYNB. Chen Taisheng (TPE) led DNF with 106m (348ft).

December saw Hou I Ming (TPE) swim 111m (364ft) with no fins, while Chang Suo-Yu (TPE) covered 82m (269ft) in bifins. Safety teams at both events used Molchanovs masks and snorkels.

"My favorite part is the easy-going, 'training-like' atmosphere," organizer Eyal Yaron said. "When one athlete finished a bit hypoxic, shouts of 'breathe, breathe!' from all of the athletes filled the whole pool." Eyal's WaterFlow Freediving partners with Twilight Freediving and Brave Diving Center to run the tournaments in the same pool with the same team, creating a relaxed, familiar vibe.

Six to seven more tournaments are planned for 2026—follow @taipei_pool_tournament on Instagram.

2025: A Year of Global Freediving Growth

Molchanovs supports the global freediving community through equipment, education, and competition sponsorship. Photo © Laura Mommicchi

As the final white cards of 2025 were raised, the numbers painted a picture of freediving's explosive growth worldwide. Across 29 Molchanovs-supported competitions in 15 countries, 496 athletes representing 44 nationalities pushed their limits, collectively covering an incredible 112,524m (369,174ft) in pool disciplines and 25,387m (83,287ft) in depth—a combined distance that could stretch from sea level to the edge of space.

To fuel this global community, Molchanovs distributed 457 prizes throughout the year, including CORE Swim Caps, Masks and Snorkels, Silicone Weight Belts, PRO Buoys, SPORT fiberglass and carbon bifins, CORE and SPORT Wetsuits, freediving bags, and training tools. An additional 34 vouchers worth 13,650USD helped athletes gear up for their next personal bests.

Ready to bring this energy to your local community in 2026? Competition organizers can request Molchanovs support via this Google Form. Whether you're planning your first local meet or your tenth annual championship, we're here to help freediving grow—one white card at a time!